On Wednesday, 18 January, a major series of collection campaigns started in four towns around the Zurich Obersee and Glarus. Thanks to the strong support of the population, local organisations and businesses, humanitarian goods for the war-stricken people in Ukraine were collected in Lachen, Uznach, Schmerikon, Pfäffikon SZ and Ennenda on two to three days each. Already two hours before (!) the first collection in Lachen began, large quantities of humanitarian goods were deposited in front of the collection point, and an overwhelming amount of donations in kind became apparent. After the end of the collection campaigns, we can say that the solidarity with the people in Ukraine has completely eclipsed our expectations. We are very grateful for this overwhelming support.
For five days, Switlo, the Zurich Ukraine Support Group, Hilfswerk Ukraine from Uznach and the Stiftung 3hf based in the Canton of Glarus carried out this joint collection campaign - actively supported in organisation and implementation by the volunteer network Lachen hilft! active in the region and the Klamothek from Pfäffikon. The collected goods were consolidated in a warehouse in Bremgarten for transport to Ukraine - this warehouse has been made available to Switlo by Comolli for a long time, for which we would like to express our sincere thanks once again. The warehouse capacity was stretched to its limits during the collection days in a positive sense.
By the end of the collection campaign, donations in kind for three to four 40-ton trucks had already filled the warehouse up to the brim. However, donations that arrived later, including 3.5 tonnes of humanitarian goods from the association "Helfen mit Kopf Herz und Hand" - in particular, food, wheelchairs and medical equipment filled the warehouses again immediately after the first trucks had left the camp for the target areas near the frontlines. In total, the joint efforts of all those involved have now yielded almost five truckloads - an unbelievable amount for which we would like to thank all those involved, the partner organisations, volunteers and, above all, donors from the bottom of our hearts.
We were able to meet the additional logistical and financial challenges at least in part thanks to the spontaneous help of the Rapperswil company Weidmann and again thanks to the foundation of Rita Regez, with Jürg Streuli's Hilfswerk Ukraine also pledging additional support. We are proud of the solidarity of so many people and the very successful cooperation with all partners, which was also made possible by the media coverage in the target regions and the local networks of all involved.
Due to the almost unbelievable volume generated in record time for us, significant challenges remain in covering the transport budget, which was stretched despite all the help. We would be very grateful for any support - also in view of further actions we will be carrying out in the near future.
You can donate here (Switlo) or, if you need a donation receipt, also via the donation account of Hilfswerk Ukraine, which supports us in the implementation and regularly collects high-quality medical technology donations for the reconstruction of the infrastructure and brings them to Ukraine.
The campaign was covered in the media as follows:
Pre- and post-action coverage in Radio Zürisee "guten Nachricht des Tages” - reports on 9th and 26th of January 2023.
Reportage in the Linth-Zeitung on 23.01.2023
Radio and text report by SRF on 24.01.2023 about the action in Uznach
Report in Glarus24 on 24.01.2023
Reportage in the Glarner Fridolin on 26.01.2023
Report on the results of the campaign in Linth24 on 27.01.2023
Our warehouse after the event:
Our warehouse two days after:
First truck arriving in Zaporizija:
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